If this plague doesn’t end soon, I’ll end up with numerous living walls indoors. I’m now addicted to trailing Spanish moss, another air plant. It’s so easy to drape it over shelves. It’s also so tactile, I can’t keep my hands off it! Hubs barely notices new plants, but has suddenly started complaining about what …
It’s almost a year since the first UK lockdown, we’re now in our third which has been ongoing since Christmas. The numbers have been dropping dramatically but given the children have returned to school I’m sure cases will rise again. To amuse myself I’ve been buying yet more houseplants online, succulents, a peace lily, a …
The first sunny-ish weekend had me sowing seeds, not that it lasted long, the temperatures have plummeted again. I was astonished to see lettuce, rocket and broad beans all germinating within three days! It’s always such a pleasure seeing those first little miracles of the season. Throughout the winter I’ve been harvesting spring onions and …
The sun finally came out and literally dazzled me. The tightly budded crocus rushed to open for the early bees. The entire garden lit up. Seeing the sunlit leaves and grass made me realise that I haven’t seen the sun for months. Even the trees seemed to enjoy basking in the warmth with the sun …
While walking I came across the first of the daffodils, they and other spring bulbs are later than last year, maybe the cold spell contributed to the delay. Snowdrops though, are absolutely abundant this year, there are carpets of them lining the waterways and grassy verges. I also spotted a couple of ladybirds amongst them. …
Most of the UK has been swaddled beneath a blanket of snow, yet here barely a flake has fallen, much to my disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, it gets old fast when it lingers and turns to ice, but one deep, transforming fall would be fun. It’s been bitterly cold here of late, as I …
Read more “A snowflake, snowdrops, spring bulbs and surprising things”
Another delightful house plant has arrived. This little beauty is a Schefflera hybrid and it’s bare roots grow through and over the black lava rock. All it needs is plenty of water. How fascinating eh? It’s really thrilling watching my living stones opening up and pushing through new leaves. Apparently the old leaves die back …
We’ve had fierce sleet showers, yet more torrential downpours, frost and ice. Sadly, several of my neighbours have been flooded and now need the builders in, thankfully, they were insured. Touch wood, we’ve narrowly escaped any flooding damage but the ground won’t hold much more water, and we have had to bail out the courtyard, …
The days may be dark and grim but there is the promise of new blooms as the bulbs begin to emerge, and already there are snowdrops. Everywhere I look delicate green shoots are pushing through the earth and each week it gets a little lighter. Spring is not far away. Viburnum, witchhazel and snow berries …
It’s been another wildly exciting week. The highlights have been finding a rotting carrot in my coat pocket, walking the dogs around the block in the rain each day and washing the shopping. I found myself staring at the endless rain from the lounge window today and was astonished to see no less than eight …
